


Just Because I’m Sorry Doesn’t Mean I Didn’t Enjoy it at the Time

by heliotropelied



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Blow Jobs, Facials, Fluff, Lilo Summer Fic Exchange, M/M, Sharing Clothes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-06 21:13:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1872666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heliotropelied/pseuds/heliotropelied
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’s never been one for introspection -- too fucking impatient and impulsive to actually question anything he decides he wants to do -- but Louis’s not stupid enough to think that there isn’t a <i>reason</i> for this.</p><p>Two weeks into their second tour, Louis finds Liam’s hotel room in a tip and Liam standing in the middle of his mess, pouting like the giant puppy that he is. He can’t find his blue and white t-shirt, and has Louis seen it? Louis, well Louis for a reason unbeknownst to himself, can’t bring himself to Liam that it’s sitting in the bottom of Louis’s suitcase along with Liam’s favourite jumper from X Factor days and a pair of his socks. </p><p>The internet, Louis decides, is a good place to start looking for answers: <i>why do i keep stealing my best friend’s stuff?</i></p><p>Or: Louis has developed a habit of stealing Liam's things and it's become a Problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Because I’m Sorry Doesn’t Mean I Didn’t Enjoy it at the Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mistresscurvy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistresscurvy/gifts).



> So this has been the most intimidating writing experience in my life. But I am told I'm not alone in the feeling so I think I'll be alright. Anyway, this fic is for mistresscurvy who asked for "How many times will Louis have to steal Liam's hat/bandanna/cigarettes before Liam realizes that Louis wants to steal his HEART. " Which was an amazing prompt so I kind of ran with it. It's a lot of Louis being confused about his own feelings, Liam being confused about Louis, and lots of stupid boy feelings. I hope it's alright :)
> 
> ALSO sorry that this is late :( I lost the second half of this fic so I had to do a rewrite yesterday. 
> 
> Thanks to Solange and onthehill for the beta/brit pick :)
> 
> Title from Snow Patrol's Chocolate.

Somewhere between their first and second tours, Louis realizes that Liam’s things looked a lot more valuable to Louis than they probably were. And it’s like -- they nick each other’s stuff all the time, Louis has a wardrobe full of clothes that were never his in the first place. So it’s not _weird_ that Louis starts to wear Liam’s jumpers more often that his own, per se. 

Just that when Harry insists on going through all of Louis’s clothes for something to wear to some party he’s going to, Louis really has no excuse to give him when he asks, “Hey, what are all of Liam’s clothes doing here?”

Louis fumbles for words because he can’t very well tell Harry that it’s because he thought that Liam’s shirt and his jumpers and his trousers would look better in Louis’s clothes cupboard than Liam’s own, now can he? Well, he could. But he’s not going to. Not if he values his dignity. 

“‘s my biggest prank yet, innit?” Louis says instead. Harry shrugs and goes back to rifling through Louis’s clothes, satisfied with Louis’s explanation for now. Louis breathes a sigh of relief. 

The truth is that Louis himself doesn’t really know why his clothes are all mixed up with Liam’s or why, when he finds Liam’s vest top lying on his sofa. Louis’s mind keeps telling him to stuff it in his bag before anyone notices. He doesn’t know why he actually does it either. 

\--

When Liam and Danielle split, he all but moves in with Louis. And suddenly Louis’s overwhelmed with Liam’s things _everywhere_ Louis turns. It all starts to pile up in the corners of Louis’s house.

Liam comes into Louis’s room one night holding a pair of trousers, “Are these yours or mine?”

Louis’s lying in bed chatting on Skype to Stan. He looks up to see Liam standing in the doorway in nothing but his pants holding the trousers out to Louis as if it’ll help him see them better. They’re Liam’s, Louis knows this as a soon as he sees them. 

“Probably mine,” Louis says, shrugging his shoulders. Liam sighs in frustration and tosses the trousers at Louis’s face before he walks away.

Louis hurriedly says goodbye to Stan before he follows Liam. 

“Why’re you walking around my house half naked, Payno?” he asks watching Liam dig through the drawer of clothes that have accumulated in Louis’s guest bedroom. Which is really just Liam’s room at this point, to be quite honest. 

Liam doesn’t look up from where he’s got his head buried in a pile of his own clothes. “Niall’s convinced me to go on a double date with him and I can’t find anything to wear.”

Louis frowns. Liam’s only just broken up with Dani. There’s no way he’s ready to start dating again.

(There’s no way that Louis’s ready for Liam to move on yet. No. Wait. That can’t be right.)

“Well if you wanted to wear the trousers, you could have done,” Louis says, crossing his arms over his chest, feeling a little small all of a sudden.

“Can’t really go on a date wearing your clothes, can I?” Liam sighs.

Why the hell not, Louis thinks.

“Why the hell not?” he asks.

Liam shrugs, “‘s just weird.” Like that’s some sort of acceptable explanation. 

“What, my clothes not good enough for you?” Louis says it jokingly enough that Liam doesn’t detect the odd pang of hurt Louis feels in his chest. It’s probably just the burrito he’d had earlier acting up anyway.

Liam levels him with a look that clearly says, _you know better_ , and goes back to looking for something to wear. 

Louis spots Liam’s watch on his nightstand and takes it with him before he leaves. Liam’s got other ones. He won’t miss it.

When Liam leaves in a rush to get to the restaurant he’s supposed to meet Niall and their dates at, Louis notices that he’s got on Zayn’s jeans and Harry’s shirt. Louis is most decidedly not angry about the fact that Liam didn’t wear Louis’s trousers that were actually Liam’s trousers that Louis lied about being his own. 

He folds up the trousers and shoves them to the back of his wardrobe along with the watch and the growing pile of Liam’s things Louis’s been collecting. Not that it’s like. An official pile or anything. But half the stuff in Louis’s cupboard does seem to belong to Liam. So.

Louis makes himself a dinner of leftover curry from the night before, turns on his stereo, and proceeds to systematically replace all of Liam’s joggers and sleep shirts with his own. He tries not to think too much about the fact that every time a cheesy love song plays over his speakers, he starts to imagine singing it for Liam.

It’s midnight before Liam comes back and finds Louis on the sofa watching Two Weeks Notice from the last time Harry made them have a Sandra Bullock marathon. He doesn’t say anything, just goes to his room to change his clothes and comes back wearing Louis’s joggers and Louis’s t-shirt. Louis can’t help but smile. Liam doesn’t even complain about the fact that all his clothes have been switched out for Louis’s. He drops onto the sofa beside Louis, nudges his way under Louis’s arm and rests his head on Louis’s chest.

“They were in love with each other, I think,” Liam says, apropos of nothing. Which isn’t fair because that’s Louis’s thing.

“What?”

“Our dates,” Liam clarifies, “Pretty sure they were in love with each other.”

“Oh, cool.”

Liam turns his head to look up at Louis. “I mean, cool for them. Not for you and Nialler, obviously,” Louis backtracks.

Liam hums in agreement. “No more dates for me for a while, I think,” he says.

Louis wraps his arm tighter around Liam and they watch Hugh Grant be a giant tit together for what’s probably the billionth time.

\--

He’s never been one for introspection -- too fucking impatient and impulsive to actually question anything he decides he wants to do -- but Louis’s not stupid enough to think that there isn’t a _reason_ for this.

Two weeks into their second tour, Louis finds Liam’s hotel room in a tip and Liam standing in the middle of his mess, pouting like the giant puppy that he is. He can’t find his blue and white t-shirt, and has Louis seen it? Louis, well Louis for a reason unbeknownst to himself, can’t bring himself to admit to Liam that it’s sitting in the bottom of Louis’s suitcase along with Liam’s favourite jumper from X Factor days and a pair of his socks. 

The internet, Louis decides, is a good place to start looking for answers: _why do i keep stealing my best friend’s stuff?_

And so Louis goes looking for Paul two hours before they’re set to go on stage and finds him at the back entrance to the arena corralling Niall and Harry inside to save them from being mobbed by fans. 

He taps Paul on the shoulder, has to reach a little bit because fuck tall people, really. “Can I talk to you for a second?” he asks.

Paul furrows his brows, “Yeah sure,” he says turning to Harry and Niall to give them _the look_.

Louis grabs Paul’s arm and drags him to a quiet corner that Louis has decided is out of the way enough that no one else will notice them. “Can we find me an AA meeting?” Louis asks in a hushed voice.

“What? Why? Have you -- Louis, do we need to get you some help?” Paul’s eyes widen in shock.

Louis’s mouth twists, “Well, yeah. I think so -- I mean I’m pretty sure it’s become a problem. I just -- I keep _doing_ it, you know?”

Paul looks very concerned, which. Good. It’s very concerning to Louis. Everyone should be concerned for him. “OK, yeah, I’ll see what I can do,” he says.

“Thanks, Paul. It’s only that like nicking Liam’s stuff is, it’s not alright, is it? Like there has to be some sort of anonymous meeting group for people who steal their best friend’s clothes?”

“Oh my god, Louis,” Paul groans. It’s in that tone everyone takes with Louis when he starts getting on their nerves. Which is like Louis’s least favourite sound ever. “You can’t just scare me like that. I thought it was something _serious_ ,” he shakes his head and walks away.

Louis glares at his retreating back. This _is_ serious, goddamn it. This is a very dire situation and Louis does not appreciate that Paul won’t take it as seriously as he ought to. Louis is concerned for his mental well being. Compulsively stealing Liam’s things can’t be _normal_. There’s something most definitely wrong with Louis.

\--

There are some very clear specificities to Louis’s, um, condition, he’s found. It’s not like he goes around nicking _all_ of Liam’s things whenever he so pleases. No, there are specific times, and specific things that Louis will take. So he starts keeping a list. If only to help himself figure out what’s going on because at this point Louis’s pretty much convinced that he’s got some sort of disease. 

\--

The very first time he can remember is packing his bags after losing X Factor. 

There’d been a shirt that Liam had said his sisters bought for him right before he left for Simon’s house. Liam loved it to pieces and Louis, for all he’d tease him about it, understood his attachment to it. The same kind that Louis had to the white t-shirt that was too small for him to wear with all his sisters’ hand prints in bright neon paint all over it. 

It’s not like Louis planned on taking it. And if asked, he’d say that he thought it was his own. But he’s stuffing his clothes into his suitcase when spots the shirt -- it’s a stupid fucking t-shirt, nothing special except that it’s special to _Liam_ \-- hanging off the edge of the bed and Louis somehow convinces himself that Liam won’t miss it if it somehow ends up back in Doncaster with Louis.

Which is stupid and untrue because about two hours after Louis’s packed it away, Liam runs around the house searching for it. His face does that thing -- the one where he looks frustrated enough to cry but he’s too damn stubborn to let anyone know that he’s anything but Totally Fine.

Louis revels in the fact that he’s made Liam feel Actual Emotions. He almost feels bad enough about it that he tells Liam that it’s in the front zip of Louis’s suitcase. Almost. 

If Louis wears the shirt under his jumper when Simon calls them into his offices a week later. Well no one has to know.

That he’s actually worn it almost every day that week.

\--

He takes a pack of Liam’s cigarettes out of his jeans pockets when he meets Sophia, Liam’s new girlfriend. She’s funny and pretty and likes making fun of Liam almost as much as Louis does. For all intents and purposes, they should be great friends. Louis finds that he doesn’t want to be in the same room with Liam and Sophia for too long. He walks away with his stolen cigarettes and finds Zayn who’s smoking outside.

Louis makes grabby hands at Zayn to indicate that he wants to bum a smoke. Zayn eyes him and the pack in his hand.

“They’re Liam’s,” Louis says.

Zayn rolls his eyes, but gives Louis a cigarette anyway.

Louis carries around two packs of cigarettes with him for the next two weeks and only ever smokes from one of them. Eventually Liam’s pack finds it’s way to the Pile of Liam’s Things, which has become a lot more official in recent days. Given that it’s not a pile anymore so much as it is an entire cupboard now.

\--

By the time they start their third tour, Louis’s been stealing Liam’s stuff for almost four fucking years and he’s started to bring an empty suitcase for all the stuff he plans on stealing from Liam. He’s pretty sure he needs help, he just doesn’t know what kind or who to ask.

And anyway Liam starts copying Niall and wearing hats. Which means that Louis has to start stealing them. He’s got a lot on his plate, Louis does.

He chases Liam around on stage and makes a whole game of it, trying to nick Liam’s hats off his head. Liam smiles brightly and plays along, stealing them back from Louis, trying to avoid Louis’s hands as he grabs for them.

Once, they’re all in the dressing room warming up for a show and Louis got one of Liam’s hats on his head.

“How come you never take Niall’s hats,” Liam pouts at him, having just lost to Louis in the battle to claim stakes on the hat.

“Because I’d kill him,” Niall laughs, from where he’s sitting on the sofa strumming on his guitar. He’s smiling like it’s a joke, but Louis’s pretty sure he would kill him. Niall’s rather protective of his stuff.

“I think Louis just likes taking Liam’s things,” Harry mutters through a mouthful of apple. It’s too close to the truth for Louis’s liking. Harry’s always had a way of figuring things out before even knowing there _was_ something to figure out in the first place. He’s a weird kid, Harry Styles.

“No one asked you, _Harold_ ,” Louis sneers. Harry grins at him, the bastard.

He plucks the hat off Louis’s head and puts it on backwards on top of his curls. Louis gapes at him. The hat looked better on Liam anyway, he thinks pettily. 

The thing is.

The thing is that people have started to notice. Louis knows because when he takes the shirt Liam had been planning on wearing on stage and puts it on instead of his own, Caroline only ever shakes her head and grins at him. He’s pretty sure she’s been talking to Paul. 

The sound guys don’t even blink anymore when Louis takes Liam’s mic. They’ve adapted to quickly adjusting their levels whenever he does.

Catering even makes two of everything for Liam because they’ve noticed that Louis always eats off his plate anyway. 

They’ve all been talking to Paul. He’s sure of it. He’d kill Paul if Paul weren’t three times stronger and also very vital to the survival of Louis’s band. 

They all look at him like they’ve figured it out even though Louis himself doesn’t know what the everloving fuck is _wrong with him_. There’s nothing Louis hates more than when people know more about him than he does. He feels uncomfortable in his own skin. Itching to crawl out of it because all of a sudden it feels like it doesn’t belong to him. It makes him want to act out and prove all of them wrong even though they may very well be right.

Except, in this instance, Louis doesn’t even know what they think they know. 

Everything is confusing and Louis’s life is a veritable joke. 

Which is why Niall decides it’s a good time to bring the whole thing to everyone’s attention right in the dressing room before they go on stage.

“How come you only ever take Liam’s things, Lou? The rest of us are starting to feel neglected,” Niall says.

“Well you just said that you’d kill him if he stole your hats, Nialler. So that might be a reason,” and bless Liam for defending Louis.

“Sure, but it’s not just hats is it?” Zayn chimes in from his facetime conversation with Perrie. Louis hears Perrie’s tinny voice from the speaker of Zayn’s phone, “Oh are we talking about Louis stealing stuff? Right klepto you are, Tommo,” she says.

“It’s because I hate you all. I only like Liam so I only steal Liam’s stuff,” and for some reason, it feels a lot more like the truth than anything else he could have come up with.

\--

For all that everyone knows Louis likes to take Liam’s things, they don’t seem to notice just how often he does it.

“Who in the band is most forgetful? an interviewer asks them.

“I reckon it’s me,” Liam answers sheepishly. “I’ve literally lost so much stuff on tour. I lost my watch the other day, actually. I’ve got no idea where it’s gone!”

Louis grins, but doesn’t say anything about the fact that he’d had it posted to his house along with Liam’s Adidas jumper.

\--

It’s when he starts doing it unconsciously that Louis really gets concerned.

Liam has a book that he writes songs in. Louis mostly just finds the closest scrap of paper and scribbles down whatever lyric that’s popped into his head. He has a folder full of stained napkins and crumpled shopping receipts that Liam always eyes with disdain. 

Anyway.

So Liam’s got this book. And the book goes missing about a month into tour. There’s a huge panic because there’s like. Valuable stuff in there that someone could steal. Louis’s quite upset about it too because there were a couple of songs in it that he’d thought would’ve been great for the next album.

That is until he finds himself writing in Liam’s song book on the tour bus one night. He hadn’t even noticed until he was halfway through the song he’d been writing.

Which is when Louis decides that this has all gotten way out of hand and calls his mum. 

“Oh darling, you’re trying to _keep_ him,” his mum says laughing. 

“What?” Louis frowns. His own mum isn’t allowed to laugh at him. This is a very serious thing that’s happening. Louis keeps _stealing_ things. He’s become a career criminal! His mother should be worried for him.

“Do you remember when you were 10 and your dad had to go on that trip to America for work for a couple of weeks and you’d gone and started hiding all his things in your room when you’d heard?”

“Vaguely,” Louis replies. He goes to his bunk to lie down, pulls the curtain closed and curls up as much as he can.

“Well when we asked you why you were doing it, you’d said that you thought if all your dad’s things were with you, he’d have to stay with you too.”

Louis’s frown deepens, his forehead wrinkling in confusion, “OK, but I’m not 10 and Liam’s not leaving, mum.”

“Well, if you think about it, the only times you’ve ever _kept_ any of the things you take from Liam have been when you could’ve potentially lost him, haven’t they?”

Which. “OK, but _why_?”

“Because you’re in love with him, you big buffoon!” his mum chuckles.

Oh. Well then.

It’s not that Louis doesn’t like boys. He likes them just fine. He’s even kissed some. And gotten off with some. It’s all good. But like. He’s never even considered liking one of _his_ boys. For a while, when the heat on him and Harry had been much stronger, he’d convinced even himself that maybe he did have a crush on Harry, but then he’d quickly realized that was ridiculous and he and Harry would make an awful couple. 

The thing is, when he thinks about it, loving Liam isn’t all that outlandish. Liam’s well fit, Louis’s even told Liam this to his face. And like now that he _is_ thinking about it, he always wants to be near Liam even when he doesn’t want to be near anyone else. 

And he kind of wants to kiss him a lot more than he should. 

And he’s kind of always favoured Liam in one way or another.

And if he really focuses, on the last four years, he’s pretty sure he’s woken up more times than not with Liam on his mind. 

And he’s fallen asleep more times than not with Liam on his mind.

And, 

and, 

and.

“I’ve um. I’ve gotta go, mum.”

“Sure thing, love,” he can hear her grinning through the phone. “Just talk to Liam, alright?”

She hangs up before he can reply.

\--

Knowing, Louis quickly realizes, is far more frustrating than not knowing.

Because now that he’s _in love_ with Liam, it’s just a bit inconvenient that Liam isn’t quite aware of the fact.

On Valentine’s Day, Harry goes around giving everyone Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Valentines and Louis steals the one he gives Liam and replaces it with an Iron Man Valentine. Louis doesn’t give anyone else any.

Liam doesn’t even question it.

For St. Patrick’s day, Louis gives Liam his songbook back with the pages he’d written on ripped out. Liam asks him where he found it. And Louis can’t very well tell him that he’s had it all along so he shrugs and tells Liam to keep a closer eye on it.

He has his mum go to his house and ship him back Liam’s jumper and his watch and puts them back in Liam’s suitcase. Liam’s shout of excitement when he finds them makes Louis smile, but Liam still hasn’t figured it out.

A couple more shirts and bandanas make their ways back to Liam and Liam marvels at all the things he’d thought he lost magically reappearing even if it’s been years since he last saw it.

Every time Liam fails to recognize what Louis’s been doing, Louis nicks something else. Which may or may not be counterproductive, but Louis’s never claimed to have a very logical thought process. What he’s been doing for the last _four years_ ought to be evidence of that. 

They’re playing video games in Zayn’s hotel room when Louis finds that he can steal more than just Liam’s things. He and Liam are on the same team against Niall and Zayn and when Louis scores the last point to win them the game, Liam cheers and turns to give Louis a kiss on the cheek.

Louis quickly turns his head so that Liam’s lips press against his own.

It’s not unusual, but Louis still feels a giddy satisfaction build inside him. Kissing Liam is very nice and Louis resolves to make it happen more often.

If Liam wants something from Louis, Louis makes him give him a kiss. 

In fact, all forms of consolation, payment, and reward for Louis on behalf of Liam must now come in the form of a kiss. Louis has made it law. And Liam doesn’t seem to mind much. Doesn’t even question it. No one does. Which goes to say a lot for the state of Louis’s relationships with the boys.

And none of this makes Liam realize that Louis is in love with him.

Louis’s frustrated enough about it that he locks himself away in his hotel room for the night while the boys go out drinking. Liam stumbles into his room at half two in the morning well beyond plastered. Louis groggily helps Liam to bed, watches Liam drift off before closing his eyes. 

“Love you, Liam,” he says. The words aren’t foreign on his tongue as much as the weight of them. 

\--

Three months after Louis’s realized that he’s in love with Liam, it dawns on him that even if Liam knew that Louis was in love with him, Liam might not love Louis back.

He’s still dating Sophia, after all. And while Louis made it very clear to the boys that he liked boys and girls very early on with a look on his face that said he’d walk right out if any of them had a problem with it, Liam’s never made any such indication.

They’ve got a couple weeks off from tour, and it takes Louis three days of sitting in his house alone to determine that Liam definitely won’t ever love him back. He even has a good cry about it while he drinks wine from the bottle and watches Hugh Grant be a huge tit to Sandra Bullock in some misguided attempt to keep her around.

The last time he’d watched this movie it had been with Liam, Louis thinks. Which, shit, OK. He probably shouldn’t be thinking of cuddling with Liam when he’s clearly dealing with losing Liam when he’d done so much to keep him around. 

His phone rings in the middle of Hugh’s big speech, but he ignores it. 

He ignores the world for three more days until Liam comes to find him. He’s on the sofa still, having moved on from chick flicks to horror films on Netflix. It’s three in the afternoon, but he’s already kind of drunk. Still drunk. Maybe.

“Jesus, Lou, what the fuck?” Liam asks. He starts gathering up the dishes on the floor and picking up the bottles of wine and vodka and beer Louis’s left there. Louis watches him in a daze. He’s wearing one of Louis’s shirts. 

“Why’ve you gone and done this then?” Liam asks pulling Louis off the sofa and turning off the telly. He ushers them to Louis’s room and into the ensuite bathroom.

“I’m in loooove, Lee-um,” Louis grins. He’s not that drunk, just enough to start saying stupid things he doesn’t mean to say.

“So you went and got drunk?” Liams ask, peeling Louis’s top up and over his head. Louis pouts, Liam’s not allowed to undress him unless he means to do something more after.

“Well he doesn’t love me back, now does he?” He shuffles out of Liam’s reach and takes his bottoms and his pants off by himself while Liam turns the shower on.

Liam turns around to frown at him. It’s kind of sad and kind of pitying and Louis hates it. “That can’t be true.”

Louis nods gravely. “It is,” he says slipping into the shower, “He’s got a girlfriend and everything.” 

Showering makes him sober up quite a bit. He dresses in his room and steps out to find Liam standing in front of the hall cupboard with the door open. Which is.

Which is a problem because that’s where Louis keeps all the Stuff.

“Um,” Louis says.

Liam spins around. “That’s all my things,” he says with his eyes wide. 

“Yeah, um. I kind of stole it?” Louis scratched the back of his neck and tries to look as apologetic as he can. 

“There’s stuff here from _years ago_ ,” Liam responds. He doesn’t sound upset, at least. “You’ve been stealing all my stuff?”

“Well I can’t steal you, can I?” Louis asks, flustered and more than a little out of his depth. God. This is four years worth of secrets about to come spilling out.

“Why would you want to?”

“Because I want to keep you, OK?” Louis throws his hands in the air. “Like. Forever and ever.”

“What?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Louis storms towards Liam and cups his face in his hands and kisses him. It’s too hard and uncoordinated, but Louis thinks he’s got his point across. “I love you,” he says pulling away, quiet and fragile, waiting for everything to fall to pieces.

“You um,” Liam stutters. He stares at Louis like he’s never seen him before. “You’re wearing my shirt.”

Louis looks down and realizes that he’s got on the same shirt he’d stolen from Liam all those years ago at the X Factor house. “Yeah, I guess I am,” he shrugs.

“You love me?” Liam asks. 

“Kind of a lot.”

“Oh, well. Good,” Liam says before he kisses Louis back. It’s softer this time. Careful and and tentative. Louis closes his eyes and brings his hand to Liam’s neck. Liam holds him steady with a hand to the back of his head, licks into his mouth with a clever tongue, entices a moan to fall from Louis’s lips. 

Louis wants this to go further, he really does. Wants to slide his hand up and under Liam’s shirt, feel the heat of Liam’s skin. Wants to know what it’s like to have Liam’s hands touch him like he wants to unravel Louis. But--

“Sophia--” Louis starts, pulling away.

“We broke up last week. That’s um. That’s why I’m here,” Liam cuts him off. 

Louis frowns, “Oh, Liam I--” he tries to apologize but Liam interrupts again.

“Don’t. We um. We actually broke up because of you,” he smiles softly at Louis.

Louis feels his stomach plummet, “What did I do? Let me fix it, Liam. I can go talk to her,” he blurts out. Louis doesn’t want to go talk to Sophia. But he will. Liam is more important than his pride.

“Oh, shit. No I didn’t mean it like that,” Liam says. He brings one hand to the side of Louis’s face and brushes his thumb across Louis’s cheek. “I meant that we broke up because I’m in love with you,” he explains.

And that. That’s not what Louis was expecting. 

“What?”

Liams shrugs, “I don’t know. We were talking, and I kind of realized that I loved you? And she said she knew? So I came here to tell you and --”

“And then you found a cupboard full of things I’ve been stealing from you for four years?” Louis grins guiltily.

“Because you wanted to keep me?” Liam asks.

“Because I love you,” Louis replies.

Liam’s smile spreads across his whole face, bright and lovely and warm. He pulls Louis in for another kiss. One hand holding the bottom of Louis’s jaw and the other tangled in his hair. Louis melts into it, happy just to let Liam lead, grips the back of Liam’s shirt to keep himself from floating away.

Liam moves his lips to Louis’s cheek, plants small kisses there right up to Louis’s ear.

“I love you too,” he whispers.

\--

Liam, as it turns out, likes Louis wearing his shirt a lot more than Louis likes wearing it. He’s half naked on top of Louis in Louis’s bed, kissing down his neck, biting at the hollow of his throat, stretching out the collar of the shirt.

Louis winds his fingers into the short hairs at the nape of Liam’s neck and uses the other hand to grip at Liam’s shoulder. “God, just take it off, already,” he whines.

“Mm, no,” Liam mutters, lips still pressed to Louis’s skin. “I think you should keep it on,” he says. His hands wander down, fingers slipping under the waist of Louis’s pants, his joggers already lying on the floor along with Liam’s shirt. “We can take these off, though.”

Louis lifts his hips to let Liam pull his pants down, groans when Liams grinds down and he can feel Liam’s dick against his thigh.

“Get yours off too, then,” Louis gasps as Liam moves his mouth back to where Louis’s neck and shoulder join together and bites down hard enough to make it hurt.

“Later,” Liam says. He shoves the fabric of Louis’s shirt -- Liam’s shirt -- under Louis’s arms and slithers his way down Louis’s body. He kisses Louis’s stomach, nips at the soft flesh there, does the same to his hips. 

Louis is so distracted by Liam’s determination to leave bruises on Louis’s hips with teeth that he’s taken completely by surprise when Liam’s finger brushes up against his hole, making Louis inhale sharply.

“ _Please_ ,” Louis moans. 

“Where’s your lube?” Liam asks.

Louis’s life must be cursed because it’s at this moment he realizes that he _hasn’t got any_. He looks up at the ceiling and bemoans his luck, “Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Liam laughs. “Shut up, it’s not funny. I just want you to fuck me,” Louis pouts.

“It’s a little funny,” Liam smiles. Cheeky bastard. Louis glares down at him. He shoves his hips up and pushes Liam with his leg hard enough to throw his balance and push him off the bed. 

Liam lands on the ground with a thud. “Ow,” he grunts. Louis kneels up on the bed to peer over the edge and give Liam his best shit eating grin.

“Don’t be an arse,” Louis smiles down at him. Liam gathers his wits enough to pull himself together and stand up in front of Louis. 

“You know you’re going to pay for that, right?” Liam asks looking down at him. Louis almost shivers at the prospect but --

The height of Louis’s bed makes it so that when he kneels, Louis’s face is is lined up perfect with Liam’s cock. Louis’s mouth waters at the sight of Liam’s erection under his boxers.

So, “Later. First let me suck you off.” He shoves Liam’s pants down and takes a moment to take in the fact that he gets to give Liam a blowjob.

“Lou,” Liam gasps when Louis ghosts his lips over Liam’s cock with barely there touches of his lips. Louis looks up at him, preens under Liam’s appraising gaze. He turns his head to kiss the inside of Liam’s thighs, sinks his teeth into the thin flesh there making Liam grasp at Louis’s shoulders with the sensation.

Liam moves one hand to tangle his fingers into Louis’s hair. He tugs on it to entice a hiss from Louis’s lips.

“Get on with it then,” Liam says. His nonchalance is betrayed only by the slight tremor in his voice.

Without any further ado, Louis grins and slowly sinks his mouth down onto Liam, groaning and gagging a little when the tip hits the back of his throat.

Louis revels in the sounds Liam makes as he works his mouth on Liam’s cock. He’s completely relaxed around Liam now, his tongue occasionally licking the underside of Liam’s dick, lips pulling off and kissing the tip before licking at the slit. Louis takes Liam’s other hand from where it’s uselessly grasping at the sheets and winds it into his hair just like the other one.

Liam takes the hint and starts to buck his hips into the heat of Louis’s mouth. Louis relaxes back and let’s Liam take control. He lets himself get lost in the sting of Liam’s fingers pulling at his hair and the way his eyes water in an effort to take Liam down. 

“Louis I’m --”

Louis taps on Liam’s hip and Liam pulls away taking the hint.

“On my -- on my face,” Louis stutters, his voice a little raspy, lips feeling more than a little swollen and a little spit dribbling down the corner of his mouth.

Liam looks down at him, dazed, “What?”

“Come, like. On my face,” Louis bites his lip, hoping. For what, he doesn’t exactly know.

“Oh,” Liam whispers. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Louis says. He sits back on his haunches, puts his hands behind his back and looks up at Liam expectantly. It takes Liam a minute to get to it, but then he’s grinning down at Louis taking his cock into his hand. Louis tilts his chin up, closes his eyes, waits. 

Liam’s breath speeds up, comes out in little huffs. He comes with a soft grunt, streaking his come on Louis’s face. Striping across Louis’s cheeks, on his lips, spots of it dripping onto the collar of his shirt. Louis darts his tongue out to lap up some of the come on his lips. 

Liam moans, “Fuck, you’re amazing.”

He pulls Louis up, one hand still grasping at his hair and the other on his arm, and drags him into a bruising kiss. They pull away and Louis sighs into Liam’s shoulder. Liam pushes Louis back onto the bed, crawls on top of him, wipes off some of the come on Louis’s cheek with the pad of his thumb. He brings it to Louis’s lips. Louis sucks it into his mouth, moans when Liam grinds his hips down to create friction on Louis’s cock. 

He reaches down to take Louis into his hand. It’s not long before Louis comes, his shout muffled by Liam’s mouth. Come splashing onto his -- Liam’s -- shirt.

“Fuck. _Fuck_ ,” Louis gasps as Liam pulls away. 

“I know. Fuck, I know,” Liam says between each kiss he plants on Louis cheek, down his jaw, on his neck.

“I guess you won’t be wanting this shirt back then,” Louis says.

“Nah, you can keep it,” Liam smiles into the crook of Louis’s neck.

“And your other things?” Louis closes his eyes, letting his head loll back.

“Mm, you can keep those...and,” Liam kisses the ball of Louis’s shoulder. “You can keep me if you want too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [tumblr](http://thesecondwarm.tumblr.com) and [twitter](http://twitter.com/heliotropelied)!


End file.
